


Roses are Red

by onceuponanevilangel



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Valentine's Day Fluff, colleen is the ultimate wing-girl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 08:03:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6071431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceuponanevilangel/pseuds/onceuponanevilangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone knew that the carnations were the ultimate Valentine's Day status symbol, but if the secret notes in Peggy's locker were any indication, there was a lot more to love then a pretty pink flower. (based on an anonymous tumblr prompt)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Roses are Red

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a prompt on tumblr that got a lot longer than I thought it would.  
> "highschool!au where angie keeps leaving love letters everyday in peggy's locker without peg knowing its her. then on Valentine's Day, when instead of placing a note, angie shows up instead all flustered with probably a dozen roses and chocolates and awkwardly asks peggy out and peggy is so ":'))) my lil cinnamon roll of course ily""
> 
> Thank you so much to the anon who sent the prompt and I'm sorry this is a week late. Hope you like it!

Everyone knew that the carnations were more than just flowers. They were a status symbol.

 

Every year for a full week before Valentine’s Day, a group of senior girls could be found standing in the cafeteria behind a table covered in a bright pink vinyl tablecloth with heart shaped tags that could be bought and filled out to be tied around the stems of the flowers that would be delivered on Valentine’s Day. The more flowers, the more admirers a person had.

 

As for the senior girls selling the flowers, it was less an honor and more of a reluctantly-taken responsibility. Well, for some of them anyway.

 

“You should smile more,” Colleen said, elbowing Peggy’s side. “If we look friendly, more people will come up here to buy and that means more money for the class which means cheaper prom tickets for us. You do want to be able to get into prom for less than a hundred bucks, right?”

 

“Honestly, I want to get back to French so I can see how I did on that last test,” Peggy replied. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at the nervous freshmen boy who was scribbling out a misspelled name on his tag.

 

“Smile anyway,” Colleen said. The boy finished his tag and handed over two crumpled dollar bills. Colleen took them and smoothed them out on the tabletop before setting them in the cashbox. “Thanks,” she said. The boy just nodded and hurried back to his table.

 

“Why exactly do we have to be the ones to do this?” Peggy asked.

 

“Because that’s what you get for being class president. But on the bright side, you have the best co-flower-salesgirl-slash-vice-president in the whole school,” Colleen declared.

 

“So you tell me,” Peggy muttered.

 

The bell rang and the cafeteria started to clear out. A group of giggling junior girls came over to the table and took their time filling out the tags. By the time they finally sashayed out of the cafeteria, Rose, the class treasurer, and the secretary, Violet came over to cover the next lunch wave.

 

“We sold a dozen this wave, so there’s twenty-four dollars in the box, all the tags are on the table, there are pens next to them, just make sure everyone pays and we’ll be all set. Are you girls good?” Rose and Violet nodded and Peggy smiled. “Good. I have to get to French, but I just have to stop by my locker first. I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

 

“I’ll come too,” Colleen said. “I didn’t finish my physics homework last night and let’s just say I want to kill as much time as possible.”

 

Peggy rolled her eyes, but nodded and led the way out of the cafeteria and down the math hallway toward her locker.

 

“So,” Colleen said, leaning casually against a neighboring locker as Peggy spun in her combination. “Do you have a date for the Valentine’s dance yet?”

 

“I already told you, I’m not going,” Peggy replied smoothly. She grabbed her French textbook and shoved it into her backpack before slinging it over her shoulder.

 

“Aw, come on, not even with Steve?” Colleen asked. “You guys were so cute together at homecoming.”

 

“No, he’s going with Barnes,” Peggy said. “And I’m not going.”

 

She started walking away, but Colleen just followed, jogging to keep up with Peggy’s pace. “Aw, come on, Pegs, you _have_ to come. The senior class president can’t just skip the Valentine’s Day dance. That’s never happened before.”

 

“Well then I suppose I’m starting a new tradition, aren’t I?” Peggy said. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned back around. “I forgot my notebook.” She hurried back towards her locker and opened it again. She pulled her red notebook off the shelf, but when she did, a piece of paper came tumbling out and fluttered to the floor next to Peggy’s feet.

 

“What’s that?” Colleen asked.

 

“I have no idea,” Peggy replied. She shut her locker door and leaned down to pick up the folded blue piece of paper and shove it in her pocket. “But I’ll read it later. I have to get to class.”

 

“You need to lighten up, Pegs,” Colleen said. “Find yourself a date and come to the dance, okay?”

 

“The answer is still probably no, but I’ll think about it,” Peggy said. She stopped in front of her French classroom and turned back to Colleen just before she stepped inside. “And go to class!”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Colleen said. She waved her hand dismissively as she walked away and Peggy rolled her eyes again as she closed the classroom door behind her.

 

* * *

 

 

Peggy completely forgot about her note until she was sitting in the senior class meeting at the end of the day.

 

Rose was explaining the day’s total sales and Peggy was paying attention—really, she was—but she slipped her hand absently into her pocket and her fingers closed around the folded piece of paper.

 

Peggy rested one hand on the top of her desk and subtly unfolded the paper under her desk.

 

_Hey. You probably don’t know who I am, but I think you’re really cute and super smart and I’ve kind of had a crush on you for like a year. Maybe you’d even consider going to the dance with me on Friday?_

_-Your secret admirer_

“Peggy’s got a secret admirer!”

 

All it took was Colleen’s shriek and suddenly the entire meeting was derailed as everyone came hurrying over to the desk to try to catch a glimpse of the note before Peggy shoved it back in her backpack.

 

“Colleen!” Peggy cried. Her cheeks were flaming hot and she folded her hands on the desk again, but it was too late.

 

“Oh my God, Peggy, I can’t believe it!” Colleen exclaimed.

 

“Wait, Pegs, seriously?” Rose asked.

 

“Let me see!” Violet exclaimed.

 

“No!” Peggy said. “C-can we just…” She gestured weakly back at the whiteboard where the flower sale totals were still written, but it didn’t seem like anyone was going to be listening to her.

 

“Come on, Peggy, let me see,” Colleen said. “Maybe I know the handwriting. I know almost everyone’s handwriting in our class. I wanna see if I can figure out who wrote it.”

 

“I think I sh-should go,” Peggy said. “I’ve got a lot of homework to do. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

 

Peggy stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulder before the excited girls could say anything else and slipped out of the room.

 

“Pegs, wait!” Colleen cried.

 

Peggy just started walking faster, but she could hear footsteps behind her and she tightened her fist around the strap of her backpack.

 

“Peggy, come on, I’m sorry,” Colleen said. She slowed to a walk once she caught up with Peggy and looked down at the floor. “Look, I got excited and I shouldn’t have snooped or put you on the spot like that or anything and I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

 

Peggy paused with one hand already on the door. “Ask me again tomorrow,” she said.

 

“That’s fair. But I’ll see you tomorrow morning, right? Flower sales in the office before first block!”

 

“Count on it,” Peggy replied as she pushed open the swinging door and headed outside into the snowy February afternoon.

 

* * *

 

 

Peggy was going to be late.

 

She had left Colleen and Violet with the flowers in the office so that she could get to her English class on time. She paused at her locker to grab her copy of _King Lear_ and caught her reflection in the miniature mirror stuck to the back of her door.

 

She looked completely exhausted as Colleen had been all too eager to point out. Her hair was a little tangled around the ends and she was pretty sure she could feel at least one good-sized zit starting to appear on her chin. There wasn’t exactly much she could do about that at the moment, but she did find a tube of red lipstick in the side pocket of her backpack.

 

Peggy painted a thin coat of crimson over her lips, blotted on what she was pretty sure was an old physics assignment, and assessed her reflection in the mirror.

 

It wasn’t all that much better really, but it was something at least.

 

There was another note too. This one was shorter than the first one, but it was written in the same flowing handwriting in a purple gel pen.

 

_Did you know you bite your lip when you're thinking? It's cute. I don't know, I just think you're cute and nice and smart and I like watching you think. Does that sound weird? I'm sorry if it does._  
_-Secret Admirer_

 

She heard the minute bell chiming and slammed her locker door shut before she raced off to class. She slid into her seat just as the teacher walked into the room.

 

“Hey, English.”

 

Peggy whirled around to see Angie Martinelli smiling at her from the next desk over.

 

“Hi,” Peggy replied.

 

“I like the lipstick,” Angie said, gesturing at her own lips. “It’s a really good color on you.”

 

“Thanks,” Peggy said. She felt her cheeks flush and she turned away to fish her essay out of her backpack. When she turned back around, Angie was doodling on the back of her homework with a feathery purple pen.

 

* * *

 

 

By the next morning, Peggy found herself actually expecting the note she found resting on the top of her textbooks.

 

_So it occurred to me yesterday that I might actually have to talk to you for more than a minute at a time if I actually want to ask you to the dance on Friday. And since the dance is actually on Friday, maybe I should get on that. I mean, that’s assuming you actually want to go with me which you totally don’t have to do, but yeah. Anyway, you looked really cute yesterday. The lipstick was really nice._

_-Your soon-to-be-not-so-secret admirer_

Peggy felt a heat creeping back up into her cheeks, but she just swallowed it down and shoved the note in her pocket before grabbing her Psychology textbook and hurrying off toward class.

 

She made a quick pit stop in the bathroom and painted a thin coat of red lipstick on her lips. When she got to class, Colleen grinned at her.

 

“Who are you looking so pretty for today, Pegs?” she asked.

 

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Peggy replied.

 

She pulled out her homework and tried hard to ignore Colleen’s gaze burning on the back of her neck.

 

* * *

 

 

There was no note on Thursday morning.

 

Peggy opened her locker and reached for a piece of paper that wasn’t there. She looked down, but there was nothing on top of her textbooks. She checked the floor of her locker and the shelf and anywhere else a note could have potentially fallen, but there was nothing there.

 

“You’re being ridiculous,” Peggy murmured to herself. “It’s just a note. It’s not that big of a deal.”

 

“Who are you talking to?”

 

Peggy jumped and spun around to find Colleen standing next to her.

 

“Oh, uh, no one. I was just—“

 

“Have you heard anything else from that secret admirer of yours today?” Colleen asked.

 

“No. Nothing today,” Peggy replied.

 

Colleen’s face fell just the slightest bit. “Oh, well I’m sure whoever it is is just nervous about talking to you or something. Maybe she just doesn’t know what to say to you. After all, you’re—“

 

“She?” Peggy asked.

 

“What?”

 

“You said ‘she’,” Peggy said, slamming her locker shut and turning to face Colleen with one hand on her hip. “Do you know who’s been leaving me these notes?”

 

“No, of course not! The handwriting just looks a little more like a girl’s then a guy’s, you know?” Colleen said. “We’re meeting after school to get the flowers ready, right?”

 

Peggy narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. We just need to tie the tags on and get them ready to deliver in the morning. Are you coming?”

 

“Yeah. I’ve got a quick drama meeting first and then I’ll be there.”

 

“Great. I’ll see you this afternoon then.”

 

“Yup. Bye, Pegs!” Colleen shot Peggy one last bright smile and waved as she hurried off down the hallway. Peggy just sighed, stuffed her notebook in her bag and headed off in the opposite direction.

 

* * *

 

 

“Ooo, Pegs, someone sent you flowers.”

 

Peggy looked up at the sound of Colleen’s voice and dropped the flower she was holding back in the vase. “What?” she asked. “Let me see.”

 

It was almost 4 o’clock in the afternoon and Peggy and Colleen were the last two members of the senior class still trying to get all the carnations ready for delivery in the morning.

 

Colleen got up and handed Peggy the list of names. “I know one’s from Steve. Rose said she saw him buy it when he got the ones for Bucky the other day and one’s from Daniel, but he got one for Violet too so _that’s_ fun, but I don’t know who the last one’s from. I can’t read the handwriting.” She perched herself on the desk next to Peggy’s. “Maybe it’s from that secret admirer.”

 

“No, the handwriting’s different,” Peggy said, studying the scratchy letters on the tag. “I think this is from Jason Wilkes.”

 

“Isn’t he that junior in your physics class?” Colleen asked.

 

Peggy nodded and picked up another carnation and a piece of ribbon. “I helped with a project a few weeks ago and I suppose this is his way of thanking me.”

 

“Aw, that’s so sweet.”

 

Peggy just hummed in agreement.

 

Colleen rolled her eyes and snatched the list back. “So what are you going to do if this secret admirer really does reveal their identity? Would you actually want to go to the dance with them?”

 

“That would depend on who they are,” Peggy replied.

 

“But you’ve got a dress just in case, right?”

 

“How about instead of lamenting about my lack of a date to the dance, we just focus on finishing these up so that I can go home and study for my calculus test,” Peggy suggested.

 

“You’re no fun,” Colleen said, but she turned back around anyway and continued copying the names from the tags to the delivery list.

 

Peggy just sighed and tied a tag onto a fresh flower with a bit of sparkly red ribbon.

 

* * *

 

 

Thanks to the calculus test during second block, Peggy got out of having to deliver the carnations herself.

 

Well, it was mostly that, but Colleen and Violet were so excited when they asked if they could be the ones to hand them out and Peggy didn’t have the heart to tell them no.

 

They got to Peggy’s calculus room about halfway through the block and they grinned at her as the teacher let them through into the classroom.

 

“Sorry to interrupt the test, but this’ll only take a second,” Colleen said. “Dottie Underwood.”

 

Dottie raised her hand and Violet hurried over to hand her the carnation.

 

“Jack Thompson.”

 

Thompson leaned back in his chair and smirked as Violet gave him his flower. Peggy couldn’t help but wonder what poor girl was going to get her heart broken by him this week.

 

“And Peggy Carter,” Colleen said with a bright smile.

 

Peggy blushed as Violet handed her three pink carnations.

 

“Thanks, guys! Good luck with the test,” Colleen said. She waved one last time before she and Violet ducked back out of the classroom and the teacher shut the door behind them.

 

Everyone started to go back to their tests, but Peggy could still feel everyone’s eyes on her as she set the carnations on the corner of her desk and threw her attention back into the problems in front of her.

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey, Pegs, can you come to the auditorium with me for a minute?” Colleen asked.

 

“What? Why?”

 

“We just need some help moving some of the decorations for the dance into the gym. They’ve been keeping everything in our prop closet and some of it’s kind of bulky.

 

Peggy sighed and slammed her locker door shut as she slung her backpack over one shoulder.

 

“Fine. Lead the way.”

 

“Is something wrong?” Colleen asked as she started towards the auditorium. “Your secret admirer turn out to be someone weird?”

 

“I don’t know. They haven’t revealed their identity yet and I haven’t gotten anything new since Wednesday,” Peggy said with maybe a little more venom than she had intended.

 

“Oh, Peggy, I’m sorry,” Colleen said.

 

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. Let’s just get this done so I can go home.”

 

Colleen pushed one of the auditorium doors open and held it for Peggy who stopped the second she walked inside.

 

There was a single rose-colored spotlight aimed at the stage and only one person standing in it.

 

Angie Martinelli was standing in the warm pink light with a bouquet of red roses in her hands and a shaky smile on her face.

 

“What the hell is this?” Peggy asked.

 

“Go find out,” Colleen replied, nudging Peggy forward.

 

Peggy shot her a dirty look, but set her backpack in one of the empty seats as she made her way towards the stage.

 

“Angie, what is this?” she asked, leaning her elbows on the floor of the stage and tilting her head back so that she could meet Angie’s eyes.

 

“This is me asking you to the dance,” Angie replied. “Because I think you’re really smart and pretty and I love the way you bite your lip when you think and I love how great you’ve always been when you’ve helped me out with homework and studying and can you please just come up here, because I feel really awkward talking down to you like this.”

 

Peggy was so glad that the lights were dim enough that Angie couldn’t see the flush on her cheeks as she climbed the steps up to the stage. When they were finally at eye level, Angie’s gaze flickered to the floor and she awkwardly held out the roses.

 

“I thought these were nicer than the carnations,” she explained.

 

“I love them.” Peggy said. She took the bouquet and slowly, hesitantly, reached out to touch Angie’s cheek so Angie would look at her again. “And this is me saying yes, I will go to the dance with you tonight.”

 

“Really?” Angie asked, her lips twitching nervously.

 

“Really,” Peggy replied with a timid smile of her own.

 

“Would you two kiss already?” Colleen called from the back of the auditorium. “I won’t even look or anything. Watch, I’m turning around.”

 

“Ignore her,” Peggy said. She looked down to hide her flush, but when she looked back up, Angie’s face was a lot closer and how had Peggy never noticed how bright and beautiful those blue-green eyes were before?

 

“Can I…do you think it would be alright if I…I mean,”

 

“You c-can kiss me if you want,” Peggy breathed.

 

Angie didn’t say anything else. She just closed the gap between them and pressed her lips against Peggy’s. Peggy could taste her cherry lip balm and a faint hint of bubblegum and she found herself missing it when Angie finally pulled away.

 

“So I’ll see you at seven then?” Angie asked.

 

“It’s a date,” Peggy said.

 

“Awesome.”

 

Peggy started to turn around, but then Angie stopped her.

 

“Hey English?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” Angie said.

 

Peggy just smiled. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Angie.”

 

By the time Peggy had stepped off the stage and grabbed her backpack again, Angie had already disappeared backstage and Colleen was practically squealing with excitement.

 

“I can’t believe you knew about this all week and you didn’t think to tell me,” Peggy snapped.

 

“Oh please, like you’re upset,” Colleen said, elbowing Peggy’s side. “But was it worth it? I mean, you’re blushing, I can tell it was worth it, but are you happy?”

 

“Very much so.” Peggy adjusted her backpack on her shoulders, grabbed her bouquet of roses and linked her arm through Colleen’s. “Now come on,” she said. “We’ve got four hours for you to get me dance-ready.”

 

“Challenge accepted,” Colleen said.

 

She and Peggy headed back out of the auditorium and it wasn’t until they were halfway back to Peggy’s house that she realized she had left her carnations there.


End file.
